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It never mattered. We spent 20 years there, untold amounts of money, and even more human capital knowing full well that in the end, this would be the result. What should have been 6 months of bombings, strategic insertions, and blockades turned into our longest "war". And for what?
It never mattered. We spent 20 years there, untold amounts of money, and even more human capital knowing full well that in the end, this would be the result. What should have been 6 months of bombings, strategic insertions, and blockades turned into our longest "war". And for what?
Our job in Afghanistan was over when we kicked Bin Laden out of Tora Bora. That was the day the mission ended. Leave a calling card and let them know we will be back because we can and they can't stop us.
Our elected leaders just never learn. We get ourselves involved in these third world hell holes with some vague idea that the locals can be saved and turned into some kind of American democracy. They just dribble in troops and our tax money with no master plan and fingers crossed that things will work. Waiting for that fall of Saigon moment with the helicopter flying out of Kabul with the embassy staff and Marine guards.
Our elected leaders just never learn. We get ourselves involved in these third world hell holes with some vague idea that the locals can be saved and turned into some kind of American democracy. They just dribble in troops and our tax money with no master plan and fingers crossed that things will work. Waiting for that fall of Saigon moment with the helicopter flying out of Kabul with the embassy staff and Marine guards.
I agree that we never should have attempted to make a “great society” or nation build or whatever we were trying to do in Afghanistan. The fault of all this nonsense should be placed firmly on Bush and Cheney’s legacy.
We should’ve treated it like a place where we based troops to take the fight to the extremists who felled the towers, including the Taliban who gave them safe haven, and it should’ve been nothing more than that.
We also should’ve stayed indefinitely, too. It’s a guarantee that the Taliban will allow groups back in that will train and fund themselves for attacks within the US.
What happens then? Do we go back in there? Because if the answer to that is “yes”, we should go back in right now when we can still stop the Taliban.
I know the media is making this whole thing out to be that the Taliban are sweeping across the country in some sort of blitzkrieg maneuver, but the reality is that most of these provinces that they have “overrun” are nothing more than a couple of buildings with a handful of Afghan regulars. These soldiers and police who are stationed out in these remote areas refuse to fight for a number of reasons. One reason is because they haven’t been paid properly by the government, some have no resupply, no food. They don’t like the Taliban, but why would they fight for Kabul, who doesn’t even care about them? Another reason they won’t fight is the age old problem in Afghanistan, which is that this country shouldn’t even exist. The British drew lines on a map, and created a Balkan like country, filled with groups who hate each other. Afghanistan should be many different countries, not one. Many of the soldiers are from different clans and provinces, and they despise the Taliban and the Kabul government equally. No reason to fight when you hate both sides.
I still think we should’ve maintained bases there, propped up the Afghan government, and continued with the tactical air strikes against the extremists. People act like it’s the worst thing ever, to have bases in Afghanistan and fight extremists.
Too expensive and too dangerous to troops. Meanwhile, we are printing trillions of dollars for BS reasons in the US, while at the same time, hundreds more people are murdered on our own streets monthly than were ever killed in a single month in Afghanistan.
Lastly, this administration is willing to let tens of thousands of Afghans into the US. Why? Wouldn’t it be better to protect them in Afghanistan while at the same time killing terrorists and Taliban?
This administration is also planning on spending billions more to support the Afghans, assuming the Taliban doesn’t take over. Why? If we are going to continue spending, we should absolutely continue to base there and take the fight to extremists.
When you need additional fighting troops to help a country, it’s not safe. Not only is the military evacuating Afghanistan but the NGOs are also bailing on Afghanistan. Last week the Secretary of State told all Americans (NGOs) to get out of Afghanistan. When aid groups leave, it’s over. Even Syria had NGO aid when the U.S. was fighting ISIS.
This was the lead news story at the top of the hour. Which means Press Secretary will have to cover it tomorrow.
It’s pretty much over at this point. The Taliban have entered Kabul and a full surrender is being negotiated.
Go back to April, they were telling the Afghan government “Don’t worry, we aren’t leaving. Biden is going to announce that the original May 1 deadline is going to be rescinded.”
Then in mid April, Biden announced, we are leaving for sure. Bagram was basically completely shut down by June 1. Really, by mid April, virtually all activity shifted from Ops to retrograde.
We could have stayed 20 more years. The Afghan Army and Police would have quit then as they have now. It was always a given.
Maybe, maybe not. But I always looked at it like we were preventing terrorist camps from funding and training for attacks in the west.
I guess most people have forgotten 9/11, or think the Israelis did it or whatever, but it’s just a matter of time until it happens again. We’ve shown every terrorist cell, including sleeper cells right here in America and/or Europe, that we are weak and have zero resolve. We are just asking to get hit again.
Maybe, maybe not. But I always looked at it like we were preventing terrorist camps from funding and training for attacks in the west.
We weren't really doing any of that. Terrorists just moved next door to Pakistan. Which is, and has been, a larger terrorist threat than Afghanistan. We may have won the majority of the battles, but lost the war. You're thinking more tactical than strategic. Staying in 100 years wouldn't have changed anything.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WK91
I guess most people have forgotten 9/11, or think the Israelis did it or whatever, but it’s just a matter of time until it happens again.
Oh the hyperbole. None, zero, nada of the 9/11 terrorists came from Afghanistan. They came from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Almost all the funding came from Saudi Arabia. We attacked Afghanistan and Iraq. Sure there were Al Q cells in Afghanistan. You know why? We created them to defeat the Russians.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WK91
We've shown every terrorist cell, including sleeper cells right here in America and/or Europe, that we are weak and have zero resolve. We are just asking to get hit again.
That’s what I believe.
Oh the hyperbole part two. I'd suggest reading more. We are very active in counter-Intel against sleeper cells and also in foreign hostile nations. Leaving Afghanistan didn't change a thing in the terrorist world. It just moved the GPS coordinates.
I fully support your right to believe what you want. Just don't believe that because you think it, that it's right.
Meaning that Congress will (hopefully) take out all the FY22 funding earmarked for Afghanistan. Significant cost savings in FY22.
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